Equations, like numbers, cannot always be split into simpler elements. Researchers have now proved that such “prime” equations become ubiquitous as equations grow larger. Prime numbers get all the ...

A mathematician has built an algebraic solution to an equation that was once believed impossible to solve. The equations are fundamental to maths as well as science, where they have broad applications ...

Van der Waerden’s conjecture mystified mathematicians for 85 years. Its solution shows how polynomial roots relate to one another. The equation x 2 – 5 = 0 is a bit trickier. The polynomial can’t be ...